Fluid sampling apparatus



Dec. l2, 1950 N. J. ROBERTS 2,534,181

' FLUID SAMPLING APPARATUS Filed De. 22, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENTOR NOBLE JAMES ROBE/T5 BY wH/TEHEAD g. voGL A TTO ENE YS atented Dec. 12, 1950 omi/reo .PATENT 0F FICE iFiliUl'D `iSAMPLING v'APPiSIRiVIEUS Noble'James Roberts, `Cheyenne, Wyo.

Applon December 22, "1947, Serial No. '793,151

'6 Claims. ..1

'This invention .relates @to apparatus for sam- .LDlin-g fluids ,and :especially ..to such. apparatus sadapted to take .individual samples `from, any predetermined .stratum `of .a container of vthe fluid to .loe sampled.

.As anoutstanding .exampleof the utility and ,practical .application of the linvention, ibut not .excluding the Amany other .uses which .may rbe made of it, the invention will be herein described .in terms of .its .use in .sampling petroleum or other liquid 'in large .and deep tanks lthereof.

An object of 'thejnven'tionis the provision of vapparatus by "the Ause of which a sample imay be taken 'from any lpredetermined -horizontal stratum of liquid :in `a lco-nvtainer.

A Affurther o'lo'ject :is to provide a single valve 'structure' byoperation 'ofWh'ich `any#straturnmay L"be .selected A`and 'a sample drawn from rsuch stratum alone.

'A further vloiect is `to provldeffan apparatus which "will perform the functions above indicated fandwhioh may =al'sobe-use`d ifm'l obtaining -r-ar repiresentativefor 'average sample of the entire conyitents fo' the container :when and if :desired :further :object l"is `to :provide fan apparatus G.vlhioh-vvill performfilthe functions above indi- J'cated and, fexcept for imalring fthe selection of the .stratum or strata 'to be :.sampled, :operates by gravity alone.

AA bfurther object is Lto ,provide an apparatus :of --ciass described land @which will 'neriorm all :of A.the aboveementioned Vfunctions.lout-which-shall he Yonf z great. simplicity s and economy in '.constructionzand of `extreme.simplicity'anddurability in operation With the foregoing and other objects :in-view, :all of which shallzxnore Vfully hereinafter appear, fthe -finvention comprises certain novel l'construeltons, combinations and arrangements 4of parts fas lwill now be described and las defined .in l.the :appended claims andas illustrated, in preferred fernbodiment, in the raccompanying .drawing .in

.which ,Figure 1 is aside "elevation-of my `improved Asampling apparatus 'as `installed .in va tank, a vfragment of which is shown in section.

Figure 2 is a right end elevation of the Fig. 1 fshowirig.

iFigure .is av-sectiononline 3-.3 of Eig- 1- L'Fisure .4 is a vertical, rcentral `section of the .ilosWer-.portion of the Fig. al:showingg :bul-onen 'enlargedscale -It-isztakenf-online ,4 4 oifFig. 2.

figures 5,:6' and -7 laresections,respectivelyon .lines l5-^5, .ii-.6 and .-1-1 ,of Fig. 4.

:My improved sampling anparatusris kadapted to nerinstallediinlany .tank .I Diandicornprises :a supapertures .I I'b, for permitting 4free movement ci the `fluid in the .tank zbetween the interior iof .the `.supporting pipe and the general interior of :the tank so that the liquid wiliin :the supporting ,pipe is always :at the same level as .'thegeneral levnliinthe tank. The screeningrofthezapertures excludes -the .entrance :into :the .supporting pipe --ofnnatter which might'tengdto clog zthetsampling tutes :and valve, later described.

kThe.fsumcorting pipe is v`provided witna T cou- ;pling I2, from which-:aconduit .i3 leads .through 'the -Wall v:ci the .tank li Where Aa tight jointiis iorlnedvinganysuitable manner as bycollarsand Welding .indicated Vat I4,

plurality of sampling tubes I5 .(eignt tubes `being illustrated, without limitation as .to .the vnulnoloeij which maybe used) arepositioned Within the supporting Vpipe-and terminate therein -at various predetermined heights, asdesired and as illustrated at Fig. :3. The tubes are .bent within the T-coupling l2 and extend outside the `tank Athrough -condut I3 and yare .then preferably spread Yor iiaredgasseen at-Fig. d, and each tube enters 4an extension of1itself inthe form of a conduit Ia in the valve member -i which .conduits are selectively (or collectively if desired) opened by the valve later described.

The valvemeinloer is `provided Withfan annular .ange ld. Vadapted to be bolted, -vas shown, to a collar vi'i which is threaded onto .the outer endfof ronduit I3, all Ias clearly seen at Figs. 1 .andai :v lThe outward portion ci the 4valvemernber forms :Ia-.valve casing Irib provided witna sampling outlet .it which is provided with a sampling valve I9. A .capnrblock 2li orms the outward end of the valve .casing and is provided with an annular flange 2da which is bolted to .flange 4Hic of the vvalve casing. The block 2) is .provided-withlon- .gitudinal .interior `grooves 20h for the purpose flaterdescribed. Asplit frainei, thehalves of .which are .bolted .togethenas at Zia, is-secuied totheendfofblocl: 2S, in anysuitablemannerto form a secure, tight Joint, .and is `centrally edaptedetoslidingly mount-the .valve stem easing laterfdescribed. -Theouter-end or" the frame is 'provided With an annular, interiorebead` orztongue 2 Iofand the .hub Y,2?.aoi` .Wheel .2.2 has an :annular groove 22h Vadapted to engage the :tongue V2lb whereby a tongue and groove connection is `formed.oetween the Aframe 1.2! ,and the Vlnub 22a permittingthehubto ro-taterelative to .the frame :butpreventing longitudinal-movementof .thehub .,relativeztothe ira-me.

Hollow shaft 23 is threaded through hub 22a and is longitudinally slidably mounted in block 20 and the adjacent end portion of frame 2|. The shaft is provided with pins or tongues 23a adapted to slide in the grooves 20h whereby longitudinal movement of the shaft is permitted but rotation thereof prevented. Packing 24 secured by nut 24a may be provided around the shaft at the inward end of the frame.

On its outer end the shaft carries a dial plate 25 having suitable indicia thereon (here shown as numerals l to 8) respectively aligned with conduits Ia. Valve stem 26 is rotatably mounted in the central hollow of shaft 23 and carries Wheel 2'I on its outer end and the wheel carries a pointer 28. At its inner end the stem carries a valve 29 having an orifice 29a adapted to align with any one of the conduits I5a to permit passage, from the selected conduit through the oriice into the chamber behind the valve and thence through outlet and valve I8 and I9, of fiuid in that stratum in the tank in which terminates that tube I5 leading into that conduit I5a which has been opened by the valve orifice. It will be understood that the valve has a liuid ,tight fit against the face or end of the valve chamber through which Vthe conduits a are formed so that the valve closes all conduits I5a except the one opened by the orifice 29a.

The tubes I5 are coordinated with the indicia on the dial plate 25 so that each number 0r character onthe plate indicates a tube terminating at a known height within the tank. Therefore when the operator desires a sample from any certain stratum within the tank he simply turns wheel 2l until the pointer 28 points to that character 0n the dial plate which indicates the tube terminating.in the desired stratum and that tube will be opened and admit fluid from that stratum to the valve chamber whence it may be drawn off through valve I9. By turning wheel 2'I until the pointer 28 lies midway between two characters,

the valve is wholly closed and no iiuid can flow through any of the conduits I5a. In this condition the valve chamber may be drained through valve i9, whereupon the chamber is readyv for another sample.

If a composite, collective or average sample of all strata in the tank is desired, wheel 22 is rotatecLby which rotation, because of the threaded connection between hub 22a and the shaft plus the non-rotatability of the shaft, the entire valve mechanism will be retracted and all of the conduits I5a will be opened, thus allowing fiuid to flow from all strata in the tank through tubes vI 5 and conduits I5a into the chamber which then functions as a mixing chamber, from which the mixed or average sample may be drawnv off through valve I9.

It will be understood that the tubes are preferably made of non-corrosive material and that they may be varied in diameter as desired to equalize the flow in the tubes which, otherwise, would vary due to the variations in hydrostatic pressures in the different strata.

While I have illustrated and described many details of construction, equivalent and alternative structures will occur to those skilled in the art and I am not to be limited in my protection to the details illustrated or described.

I claim:

l. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a valve casing, a valve seat within the casing having therethrough a plurality of annularly arranged orifices, a valve head having 4 an orifice adapted to be aligned, selectively, with any one of said seat orifices or with none of said seat orifices, head moving means comprising a, non-rotatable sleeve slidably mounted in the casing wall and carrying the head rotatably seated on its inner end, a stem affixed to the head and rotatably mounted within the sleeve, means for Vpositively advancing and retracting Athe sleeve'` and therewith the head, `jsaid means being adapted to hold-the head in either advanced or retracted position, and other means for rotating the stem and therewith the head.

2. Apparatus for sampling fluid from a plurality of areas in a container, including, in combination, a valve having a seat and a head and a casing, a plurality of conduits leading respectively from different horizontal areas within the container to said valve, there being an orifice in said seat for and communicating with each conduit, said head being rotatably mounted in the casing and thereby adapted to selectively open any one of said orifices `while closing all other orinces and said head being also reciprocably mounted in said casing and adapted thereby to close all of said' orifices simultaneously or to open all of said orifices simultaneously and means for rotatingsaid head and means for reciproeating said head.

3. In apparatus as defined in claim 2, an orifice through the head, and single means for drawingfrom the valve casing fluid admitted thereto `through the seat orifices only or fiuid admitted thereto through the head orifice.

4. In apparatus as defined in claim 2, the head having an orice and being rotatable and means for selectively rotating and `reciprocating the head including a non-rotatable sleeve slidably mounted in the casingwall and adapted to reciprocate the head, a stem aiiixed to the head and vrotatably mounted within the sleeve and adapted to rotate the head,'means for longitudinally sliding the sleeve to seat and unseat the head and other means for rotating the stemand thereby the head to align selectively the head orifice with a seat orifice or with none of the seat orifices.

5. AApparatus for sampling iiuid from a plurality of areas in a container, including, in combination, a plurality ofwertical tubes having their upper ends terminating respectively in different horizontal areas within the container," a valve having'an outlet and valve operating means outside the container, said tubes having their lower portions leading through th-e wall of the bottom portion-of the container and terminating in the seat of said valve, there being an orifice in said valve seat communicating with each tube, said orifices being annularly arranged, and a valve head adapted to selectively open any one of said orifices while closing the other orifices whereby to permit fiuid to flow through. said valve head only from a selected area within the container, said valve head being reciprocable and thereby adapted to either close all of said orifices simultaneously or to open all of said orifices simultaneously.

6. Apparatus for sampling fluid from a plurality of areas in a container, including, in combination, a plurality of'vertical tubes having their upper ends terminating respectively in different horizontal areas within the container, a valve having an outlet and valve operating means outside the container, said tubes having their lower portions leading through the wall of the bottom portion of the container and terminating in the seat of said valve, there Fneing an orifice in said valve seat communicating with each tube, said orces being annularly arranged, and a valve head adapted to selectively open any one of said orifices while closing the other orices whereby to permit uid to flow through said valve head only from a selected area Within the container, the tubes Within the container being assembled Within a vertical casing having screened openings in its walls substantially at the levels of the tops of the respective tubes whereby to exclude foreign matter while aiording equal hydrostatic pressure of fluid Within and Without the casing at each of the various areas in which the tubes terminate.

NOBLE JAMES ROBERTS.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,837 Macfarlane July 21, 1885 708,785 Staaf Sept. 9, 1902 1,827,574 Frazier Oct. 3l, 1931 1,969,081 Vogel-Jorgensen Aug. 7, 1934 2,127,296 Holmes Aug. 16, 1938 2,350,988 McCombs Burdick June 13, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 304,001 Germany Feb. 16, 1918 

